No Gut, No Glory?

[lilrabbitxvx]

Ive heard this term thrown around here a bit.
I've started bulking (in week 2.5) and havent hit a great routine as to eating enough calories.
I have managed to gain about 6 lbs but feel like its pure gut.

Im shooting for 3500-4000 calories a day and trying to eat "clean" with mostly whole foods.
Is the gut something I'll push through as the weeks progress or the nature of the bulk game?

[vegimator]

I imagine 3500-4000 calories of whole foods is always going to be bulky. But if you dirty up your diet a bit, it'll be easier.

[baldy]

Love the title! You don't give any details about your training?
Bulking normally goes hand in hand with hard training. Then its easy to see the progress from how your strength/performance has gone up.

Focus on the sport not the aesthetics.

[JP]

hey 6lbs in 2.5 weeks is A LOT!

maybe slow it down a bit, as in dont increase your calories now, maybe even cut back a bit so higher % of the gains would be muscle.

some fat gain is probably inevitable, but you can find a balance where most of teh gains would be muscle

[Talyn]

Some (or maybe a lot) of the 6lbs you gained may be in water weight, so it's hard to gauge.

You only really need 500 calories more than maintenance as a good starting point.

As you gain weight, your maintenace will go up, so your daily calories will increase along with your weight.

The key is to not rush it.

[lilrabbitxvx]

I went into this bulking venture a lot lighter than I "should be". I started around 154 lbs and am right now fluttering around 161 (as of this morning)
I figure I will gain a lot initially and then plateau out probably next week regardless of my intense eating.
One way im taking in the mass calories is my handy bag of trail mix that is 2250 per bag (which seems surreal)

Initially I was working out 4 days a week, hitting a different muscle group each day to allow a week in between each.
This week I doubled up to 2 days. One day Chest/Back. The other Shoulders/Arms. Abs on both days

I am on my bike all the time to and from work, which is about 2 miles with some good ol' fashioned san francisco hills, so I haven't been focusing on my legs or cardio.

Im aiming to do 3 months of bulking and see where I get then trim out. Is that a good amount of time, or am I a chump?

Im also thinking that my "gut" is probably my stomach constantly being full of foodies.

Overall I feel pretty fantastic.

[blinki]

Im also thinking that my "gut" is probably my stomach constantly being full of foodies.

I get that. I looked in the mirror this afternoon and had a moment of 'oh shit I'm getting fat'. Then I remembered I'd just ate a lot. The question is probably do you have a gut first thing in the morning? If not then it will be bloating

[sergio]

I'm a complete newbie but I've been (slowly) increasing weight in my exercises and I guess this means I'm on the right path at bulking. I mean, guts dont lift weights, muscles do, so I'm using these improvements as reliable signs.

I was also worried about body fat but I realized that if each day I manage to train harder than the previous one, that's ok enough and I'm happy. F*** mirrors.

Note: 100% conscious that maybe I'll regret all this arrogance and who-gives-a-fuck-attitude the day I decide to reduce body fat ^^

[muchluv]

3500 calories in a lb of fat, 3500 X 6 = 21000

Youve been taking in probably 1500 calories a day above your maintenance.. so 1500 X4 = 21,000

So it probably is mostly fat but if you were underweight before maybe thats not a bad thing

[lilrabbitxvx]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

I've cut back a bit on the calorie game and tried to eat more consistently and "normal" for a few days.
I'm going to get back on the wagon this week but shooting for 500 calories above maintenance and focus on lifting, despite the belly pooch

[Promesas]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

I've cut back a bit on the calorie game and tried to eat more consistently and "normal" for a few days.
I'm going to get back on the wagon this week but shooting for 500 calories above maintenance and focus on lifting, despite the belly pooch

Everyone will have diffferent goals in regards to the way their body looks/strength etc. As someone who's struggled with weight my entire life and since becoming vegan 1 year ago, I've lost 43kg of weight(120-77kg), I'm comfortable with where I am at. I have no desire for the bulky muscular look, i just wish to be strong while having a lean and cut physique, Which takes a long time to achieve. As plant eaters, our caloric needs are met with foods that have a lot of water in them, which artificially affects our weight short term. It's common for me to drink up to 5L of water in a day so my weight can sometimes fluctuate from 77kg to 80kg. As I am a high starch eater in the form of potatoes, after a large meal, My gut can seem somewhat extended from the amount of food I've just put in it but within a few hours as the digestion process starts, it goes away.

As the OP is a fairly lean size now and going for bulking, you'll need to increase your caloric intake obviously to gain mass. I think you are doing a good resistance and cardio workout. 2 weeks is somehwhat too early in the game yet. I would give it 90 days minimum before you decided which path to take further.

Good luck to you.